Forgotten
by Aina Riddle
Summary: Village Square contest entry for the theme Summer. Eunice is going to enjoy Beach Day for the first time, but memories from the past that were remembered but also forgotten are making the day not very enjoyable. Bad summary, I know. T rated to be safe.


**A/N:** This is my entry for the Village Square contest, the theme being 'Summer'. I was going to go another way with this, but I think it turned out alright. This takes place in Rune Factory Frontier. The main character is Eunice.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Rune Factory series, although I really wish I did.

**Forgotten**

Sunshine begins to shine through the windows of the bar and I let a small smile come to my face as I wipe the last spot off of the table. Stella had accidentally spilled her drink last night when she had gotten in a drinking contest with my dad, but I don't mind. Seeing mom give dad her famous 1000 smacks for causing his daughter to 'overwork herself' makes me both worry for his health and smile at the loving laughter they both show 10 half-hearted smacks in; the other 990 either being playful or forgotten.

"You're up early, Eunice," I jump at the sound of my dad's voice and turn to see his large form lumbering down the stairs. My smile grows bigger and I run over to give him a hug, which he returns before holding me out at arm's length, laughing. "I bet you're excited about Beach Day, it's been so long since I've seen you this happy during this time of the year."

"I can finally wear a bathing suit! Without Raguna's encouragement I would never have lost all of that weight." I look at the clock and with a small 'o' of surprise I gently pull away from his grip and give him a grin before running up the stairs to grab my bathing suit.

Beach Day had always been the most dreaded day of the year for me, because it always made me think of how I would never be able to lose enough weight to look even decent in a bathing suit. Raguna changed that though, because when he said he preferred skinny girls I became determined to become someone he would like, maybe even…love. He had encouraged me, even helped me along by giving me vegetables and convincing Uzuki to train me, and the whole three seasons it had taken me made me realize just how much I was falling for him. His face when he had seen the new me after him being busy in the dungeons for a few weeks is something I never want to forget since it had made me feel wanted for the first time in a long time.

I slow as I reach the top of the stairs so I won't wake up my mom and quietly walk into my room, making sure to not trip over my work-out equipment again. Lying on my bed is the bathing suit I had made the day my dieting had ended. The pink fabric matches the cherished bow I always wear and the flower designs stitched in match the flower pressed in-between the pages of my diary. _He_ had given them both to me the day I had left the city to live here when I was thirteen; a flower wrapped with a pink ribbon, and the very last gift I had received from him before his letters had suddenly stopped, not even a season before the day we had planned to meet again after four long years.

Sinking down onto my bed as my smile falls; I reach up and untie my bow, catching the small square of paper that falls from it with practiced ease. Slowly, I unfold the last letter I had ever gotten from him and re-read the lines I have burned into my mind.

_Dear Eunice,_

_I can't wait to see you again! It's been so long since I first met you in that ash-filled meadow, which soon became our flower-filled meadow, that it all seems almost like a dream. You are more than just a dream, though, because dreams can be forgotten and I'll never forget you no matter what you may think. I don't care for those girls at my Uncle's palace, because even though all of them are very beautiful, none of them are as beautiful or as sweet as you._

_I bet you're blushing, but that's okay: you're cute when you blush. I suppose I'll stop now though, since I know if I say anymore your next letter will be filled with denial over all of my claims. They're all true despite any future (or past) denying and you should never think otherwise. Just cover those girls with the most foul-smelling, cheap fertilizer you have the next time they even dare to try and make fun of you. Just because your hair is green does not mean they can say that you're as low as grass and deserve to be trampled. It just means that you have an affinity with the earth, but not as much of one as us earth mates. Yours is more for the flowers and the trees while ours is more for the entirety of the earth element, rocks included (that does not mean I am similar to a rock in any way, no matter what Ivan says. Annoying older brothers…)._

_Speaking of Ivan, he says hello and to not take any of my advice about throwing manure. I suppose he is right since that would be kind of mean, but I won't say anything if you ignore _his_ advice instead. I should get going; the dragons are getting restless for some reason. I suppose everyone is getting antsy with how lacking the Empire is with their invasion attempts, but we can't do anything about it. The whole situation is giving me a bad feeling, especially since they're after Ivan and I, the very last earth mates left. We'll be fine though, so don't worry and keep yourself safe. And remember, you're too unforgettable to forget!_

_Love, Kael_

_P.S. I might not be able to send anything for a while because Ivan is taking me out to practice my fighting more in the caves outside of town. I _will_ be in our meadow on the first of Summer though, so don't worry._

He wasn't there though. No, Ivan was and he was the one who told me that Kael had gone missing. He had been the one to hold me when the tears had come while he promised to tell me as soon as his brother had been found. He did… but Kael didn't go by Kael anymore and he still doesn't even remember he has a family. He didn't remember his name, his brother, or even me. No, Kael had forgotten everything and learned to be a new man as Raguna of Kardia, but I want to make sure he won't forget me ever again, even if I'm changing everything he had once loved me for; because being forgotten is the worst feeling in the world in my opinion.

"Eunice, you'd better hurry, the festival is about to start!" I jump at my dad's shout and wince as my mom curses from her room at the noise, but I get ready nonetheless. The worn letter is placed inside my diary before I put the ribbon back in my hair and hurry out of the inn and towards the beach with my swimsuit and a towel in my arms.

* * *

The changing shack is crowded , but I manage to find myself a spot in the corner to change in. Melody waves at me and I wave back before changing, humming a tune I had been dreaming about for a while now, but I don't know the words to it. I let the other girls drift out before I leave my corner and slip out of the changing shack door.

"Oh, Eunice, you look so cute!" I blush at Melody's compliment and give her a small smile.

"Thanks, you look nice too. I've never seen you in a bathing suit since this is my first time visiting the beach during Summer." I reply and she rolls her eyes, both at my compliment and my confession.

"I can't believe that you have lived here this long and have never visited the beach during Summer before! And my hair is a mess, how I can ever look nice with it, I do not know…" We both laugh after she makes a dramatic sigh and soon we drift apart as she heads for the water and I move to look at the huge watermelon. I haven't had watermelon in a long time, so I wonder how it will taste. Will it still taste the same as the last time I ate it with Kael?

"You look wonderful, Eunice," I hear the voice from behind me and I jump, losing my balance. Two strong arms wrap around me from behind, stopping me from getting a very painful watermelon shaped bruised, and I feel my face heat up because I would know that voice anywhere.

"O-oh, thank you Raguna! I'm so happy you like it." A shy smile comes to my face as I turn around when he releases me. My eyes wander his figure without my permission and I know by the time I manage to pry them away that my face is beet red. Raguna, I can never get used to calling him by that name, lets out a laugh before he says something about going to greet everyone and I let him leave with a wave. I move over to one of the chairs and sit down, watching as Raguna says hello to everyone.

I don't know why, but I can't help but notice as his eyes wander over every girl's body like mine (and theirs) did with his and I wonder if he did that to me or of he just glanced and complimented in order to not be mean. No, Kael wouldn't do that, but he's not Kael anymore, he's Raguna… and I hardly know Raguna… I feel pain beginning to appear in my heart as Raguna starts talking to Mist, the same smile he used to wear when talking to me so long ago in our meadow now on his face. He hands her a beautiful Emery flower that matches the design on my bathing suit and the flower pressed in my diary, and the pain grows to a constant ache that I know won't go away for a long time, or ever, because this time I know I might lose him for good.

Rosetta calls for everyone to gather for the Watermelon splitting and I blink in surprise when my name is called when they say who the liar will be.

"Oh, um, okay! I'll try my best to lie!" I don't even need to try, because I've been acting like I've never known Raguna for about a year now, and acting is just lying with actions added in. I've felt guilt wrenching at my heart every single day, but I was always afraid that Raguna knowing about his past and still choosing someone else would be too horrible to bare, so I haven't told him, and now I don't think I ever will.

I move to the side, quite a few feet away from the watermelon, and watch quietly as a blindfold is placed on Raguna before he is spun around. "Go to the right!" I shout just as Mist shouts 'Go forward!'

He goes forward. "Left! Left!" He starts to listen to my words and almost turns towards me before Mist speaks again.

"Keep going forward, Raguna!" He keeps going in the same direction as before. I can feel tears of desperation in my eyes and hear it in my voice as I shout again.

"Go left! I'm right next to it, go left!" He stops like Mist says and breaks the watermelon perfectly, and I put as convincing of a smile I can give on my face when he looks at me. "Oh well, I guess I'm not a very good liar."

"You're just too nice to be able to lie convincingly, Eunice," Raguna says and I force out a laugh of agreement as he starts handing out chunks of watermelon to everyone. I refuse the piece he hands me, saying I'm not hungry, and he walks away with a worried glance and a shrug; stopping to stand next to Mist. He may be worried, but I can tell he will always follow Mist… and he'll never forget her…

The tune I hum as I change before the festival is over is broken as sobs threaten to escape, but I don't care. It's only fitting that a girl who can't be remembered also hums a melody whose words everyone has forgotten.

* * *

**A/N:** I was going to continue, but we're supposed to get a big storm tonight and I want to get this out before it comes. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed it and good luck to everyone in the contest.

Oh, and the 'forgotten melody' is the song sung at the end of the game. I figured that since all of the girls were humming often their melody should have a connection with the game's end.


End file.
